If, however, you hypothesize that rose quartz and other crystals possess healing powers, then you might be able to perform a few tests and carry on with your hypothesis.

It takes three steps to write a hypothesis:

Ask a question.

Gather background information.

Form the hypothesis.

Ask a Question

In the scientific method, the first step is to ask a question. Try to answer one of the classic six: who, what, where, when, why, and how. Here are some sample questions one might ask:

How long does it take carrots to grow?

Why does the sky get darker earlier?

What happened to the dinosaurs?

How did we evolve from monkeys?

Once you settle on a question you believe you can answer through the scientific method, start collecting basic observations. Evaluate them, looking for possible answers, as well as where you might be able to find those answers. Once you're confident you'll be able to research this topic from several angles, you're ready to continue.

Gather Background Information

Now that you know there's enough information to proceed, it's time for data collection. This will come in the form of case studies and academic journals, as well as your own experiments and observations.

Here's an important point to keep in mind. Say the question you posed was, "How did we evolve from monkeys?" Well, as you start to collect basic observations and information, you'll find Charles Darwin didn't believe humans evolved from monkeys. In fact, Darwin said human beings and apes shared a common ancestor. That's radically different than "humans evolved from monkeys."

Don't let this deter you from further exploration. You might come upon many naysayers as you gather background information. That doesn't invalidate your hypothesis. Rather, you can use their findings as potential rebuttals, and frame your study in such a way as to address these concerns.

Form the Hypothesis

Now that you've gathered sufficient information about your general topic, it's time to narrow it down into a more specific unit that you can conduct an experiment on.

Let's return to the questions we posed above and put them into a hypothesis format. They're usually formed as a statement, but can be made in question form if you prefer.

Question

Hypothesis

How long does it take carrots to grow?

If we plant carrots deep in soil, it will take them longer to grow than in shallow soil.

Why does the sky get darker earlier?

The Earth's rotation affects the number of daylight hours.

What happened to the dinosaurs?

If we study marine fossils found in the Arctic, we will see that dinosaurs disappeared when a comet hit the Earth.

How did we evolve from monkeys?

Human beings are not descended from apes but share a common ancestor.

Null Hypothesis vs. Alternative Hypothesis

Depending on what you are studying and the kind of experiment you'd like to run, you may need to perform some statistical analysis on the data you collect. When forming your hypothesis statement using the scientific method, it's important to know the difference between a null hypothesis and the alternative hypothesis.

A null hypothesis, often denoted as H0, posits that there is no apparent difference or that there is no evidence to support a difference. Using the carrot example above, the null hypothesis would be that carrots grown in deep soil and in shallow soil grow at the same rate.

An alternative hypothesis, often denoted as H1, states that there is a statistically significant difference, or there is evidence to support such a difference. Going back to the same carrot example, the alternative hypothesis is that carrots grown in deep soil take longer than those grown in shallow soil.

Test the Hypothesis

A hypothesis involves a statement about what you will do, but also what you expect to happen or speculation about what could occur. Once you've created your hypothesis, you'll need to test it, analyze the data, and form your conclusion. To read more about hypothesis testing, go to Examples of Hypothesis Testing.

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How to Create a Hypothesis

By YourDictionary

A hypothesis is an important part of the scientific method. It’s an idea, or a proposal, based on limited evidence. What comes next is the exciting part.The idea or proposal must be proven through facts, direct testing, and evidence. Since the hypothesis acts as the foundation to future research, let’s carefully discuss how to create a hypothesis.